Revamp on accordion design

[Ignacchitti]

Finally managed to revamp my Excelsiola's look - went for an all-black design that is sometimes used in jazz accordions these days.
Ended up looking like Darth Vader a bit

The Excelsiola was beaten up on the exterior - cracking celluloid on keys, scratches on several sides, etc.
And my second accordion looks almost exactly like the Excelsiola did before the revamp, so... There was no point in keeping as was.
Besides, I always HATED the original register switches - those white tear-shaped switches with the 4 middle ones not even being in line with the others.
Got new bellows too, but that was already black.

A job done by Ninho das Gaitas in Southern Brazil. Happy customer.

 

[Thomas N]

This is both gorgeous and inspirational! I own an Excelsiola 930 Van Damme. It has been with me since around 1983. It has seen better days. I've been going back and forth thinking about either selling it or restoring it. It's very difficult for me to find somebody to do the rather complex tuning and restoration. Money is really not an object, since I would spend more on a new accordion anyway.

The all-black is what I want. I've been looking at the Petosa AM-1100 Jazz in all black and love that look. My Excelsior 960 has the very standard traditional look so something different would be quite welcome. I'm going to save this picture of your accordion and use it for the person who restores it - if I can ever find one!

 

[Ignacchitti]

This is both gorgeous and inspirational! I own an Excelsiola 930 Van Damme. It has been with me since around 1983. It has seen better days. I've been going back and forth thinking about either selling it or restoring it. It's very difficult for me to find somebody to do the rather complex tuning and restoration. Money is really not an object, since I would spend more on a new accordion anyway.

The all-black is what I want. I've been looking at the Petosa AM-1100 Jazz in all black and love that look. My Excelsior 960 has the very standard traditional look so something different would be quite welcome. I'm going to save this picture of your accordion and use it for the person who restores it - if I can ever find one!

Very glad to hear this inspired someone!
I hope you really find someone to work on your 930 Then go for it!

In the images above you cannot see the register switches clearly, so here they are in case it helps you too. All black, and for now they are still missing labels.



The guy at the shop did not have the exact labels, because the Van Damme model is unique - there is no organ, accord, flute, oboe, etc.
So next time I am there I think he will add engravings called L, Lc, M, LcL, LcM, LM, Master, etc. (L being the bassoon out of cassotto and Lc being the bassoon inside it).

Much like in some of the iterations of Van Damme models:

 

[Thomas N]

I've been trying to post a picture of my Excelsiola 930. Having loads of problems uploading it, however. I'll try again later.

I appreciate the additional pictures and detail you provided!

 

[Thomas N]

 

[Thomas N]

Well, there it is. Twice, apparently!

 

[Ignacchitti]

Well, there it is. Twice, apparently!

Exactly what mine looked like! Maybe mine had just a few more scratches and cracks though.

It's not a bad look, but you already have a very similar and traditional looking one with the Magnante model.
IMO as this is a rare model it's worth investing into. Be it for editing the looks or just polishing it up (in addition to re-tuning, of course).

The easiest and cheapest edit one can make is replacing the felt/cover behind the grille, with a black one. No professional needed for that part.

In my case the bass register switches were just re-painted (black), not replaced. The background for the bass buttons was replaced with black celluloid, keys replaced and treble register switches replaced. The rest of the celluloid parts were just polished.

 

[Thomas N]

I just re-read an old post Jim D. from this site did in response to the 930 and 940. The 930 is a pain in the neck to restore! Just the tuning is a nightmare as the two Bassoon reeds have to be exactly the same and tuned in unison. He stated that even the reed leathers must match because any difference between the two reed blocks will result in a terrible sound. So now I have to find somebody that understands that along with the complete restoration of everything else!

 

[debra]

(pics not repeated)

Thanks for sharing these pics. Soooooo much nicer than that all-black of Ignacchitti. But of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

 

[Thomas N]

Thanks for sharing these pics. Soooooo much nicer than that all-black of Ignacchitti. But of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Definitely in the eye of the beholder. I just LOVE that look on his accordion. I also like the look of the all-wood Petosa and Victoria accordions. I guess after 45 years of the same look on an accordion I'm ready for a little change!

 

[jozz]

Finally managed to revamp my Excelsiola's look - went for an all-black design that is sometimes used in jazz accordions these days.
Ended up looking like Darth Vader a bit

The Excelsiola was beaten up on the exterior - cracking celluloid on keys, scratches on several sides, etc.
And my second accordion looks almost exactly like the Excelsiola did before the revamp, so... There was no point in keeping as was.
Besides, I always HATED the original register switches - those white tear-shaped switches with the 4 middle ones not even being in line with the others.
Got new bellows too, but that was already black.

A job done by Ninho das Gaitas in Southern Brazil. Happy customer.

love it!

 

[Notario]

Hey man, I love the modifications you did, apart the black piano keys. Great job anyways.

And thanks Thomasa for showing how the original looks like. Comparison is amazing

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Amazing look!
Should there been an original type with a same look, the price must be at least 30% higher!

 

[JerryPH]

Gorgeous! It was the perfect accordion to do it on too!

 

[JerryPH]

Well, there it is. Twice, apparently!

Quite exciting... are you considering doing something similar?